Open employment

Open employment means doing a job which can be done by any person. You do the same job as your co-workers and are paid the same wages.

But you won’t be thrown in at the deep end! There is support available to help you find a job in open employment. You can be given assistance to learn a job, and adjustments can be made to help you work well.

Open employment is one of the biggest areas of all those covered on this website and we have divided it into sections.

It’s important to find meaningful employment. Not any old job which very often will not work out. People need to find work which taps into their strengths and talents.

Click on Our Stories on the right hand side of the page or click here to read personal stories about getting a job in open employment.

Choose a topic you would like to explore or scroll down to read more about all of these topics:

Disability Employment Services (DES)

Disability Employment Services (DES) provide a free service to help job seekers find and maintain employment. You might need help to get ready to start looking for work, perhaps with writing your CV or practising for job interviews.

There are two programs:

Disability Management Service: young people looking for work are given support and assistance with job seeking and employee skills and help with finding employment. There is no long-term support offered.

Employment Support Service: This service provides the same job seeking and employee skills trainings as the DMS. There is assistance with finding a job and then long-term support is offered to maintain successful employment.

People often cycle through a lot of DES providers. They feel that people don’t understand autism or their particular needs.

To apply

You can start either by applying via Centrelink or by finding a local Disability Employment Service. Your transition teacher or careers counsellor at school may be able to help with this. Alternatively, you can do a search on the Australian Jobsearch website or call the Employment Services line on 132 850

Eligibility

To receive assistance from Disability Employment Services, young people need to have an assessment. This is generally carried out in a Centrelink office.

AIM Employment: autism-specific employment service WA

The Autism Association of Western Australia has a service called AIM Employment which assists people with autism to find a job and then supports them as they work. AIM Employment is a registered DES provider, funded by the federal govenment, see DES below.

Apprenticeships and traineeships

Apprenticeships and traineeships are one of the best ways to get job training and qualifications. There is a very readable introduction to accessing apprenticeships and traineeships on the Get Ready For Study and Work website.

Over 500 different types of jobs are covered by the Australian Apprentices program. The federal government’s Australian Apprenticeships website has all the information you need to explore the many options for work, and for combining work and study to gain a qualification.

Disability Works Australia

DWA is an NGO that works with employers who wish to recruit people with disabilities. DWA works with government employment agencies and with employers to help recuit the right person for the right job.